Endless Yearning II
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

《长相思·其二》

English Translation

"The sun has set, and a mist is in the flowers;

And the moon grows very white and people sad and sleepless.

A Zhao harp has just been laid mute on its phoenix holder,

And a Shu lute begins to sound its mandarin-duck strings....

Since nobody can bear to you the burden of my song,

Would that it might follow the spring wind to Yanran Mountain.

I think of you far away, beyond the blue sky,

And my eyes that once were sparkling

Are now a well of tears.

...Oh, if ever you should doubt this aching of my heart,

Here in my bright mirror come back and look at me!"

Folk-song-styled-verse

This lyric poem from the Tang dynasty, the second in the "Everlasting Longing" series, expresses a woman's profound yearning for her distant beloved. Using spring scenery as poetic inspiration, it portrays lovesickness through environmental ambiance and psychological depiction. With delicate and graceful strokes, the poet captures the loneliness and melancholy of separation, conveying deep emotional resonance.

中文原文( Chinese )

日色欲尽花含烟，月明如素愁不眠。

赵瑟初停凤凰柱，蜀琴欲奏鸳鸯弦。

此曲有意无人传，愿随春风寄燕然。

忆君迢迢隔青天，昔日横波目，今作流泪泉。

不信妾断肠，归来看取明镜前。

Pre： Endless Yearning I

Next：The Hard Road

Why Chinese poems is so special?: The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.

How to read a Chinese poem?: Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

Endless Yearning II - Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

Endless Yearning II
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)